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Former president Moon Jae In says he deeply regrets appointing Yoon Suk Yeol as prosecutor general

AKP STAFF
Posted by Sophie-Ha 7 hours ago 3,774

On February 7, in an interview with Hankyoreh, former President Moon Jae In opened up about his decision to appoint Yoon Seok Yeol as Prosecutor General, Yoon Suk Yeol's subsequent rise to the presidency, and the feelings of self-reproach he experienced while watching recent political crises, including the declaration of martial law and impeachment.

The former president admitted, I have deeply regretted it time and again,” adding, “Those of us in the Moon administration cannot escape responsibility for the birth of the Yoon administration—of course, I bear the greatest responsibility.” He went on to say, “The sense of self-reproach over handing power to someone like this was overwhelming. Moreover, with the recent martial law and impeachment crisis, I couldn’t even sleep at night out of guilt toward the people.

Former president Moon Jae In confessed he was shocked upon hearing about the martial law declaration on December 3. He explained, "I was absolutely dumbfounded. It was shocking. At first, I didn’t believe it. I had finished my day when my former aides called to inform me. Initially, I thought they must have seen some fake news on YouTube. But when I turned on the TV and saw the official broadcast, I realized it was real. I kept rewatching the presidential address, and only after two or three replays did it truly sink in—it was just beyond absurd.

He continued, "Martial law still technically exists in our constitution, but it’s like a relic stored away in a museum for decades. The idea that someone would bring it out in the 21st century and wield it against the people—is that even conceivable? He labeled the opposition as an anti-state force and vowed to eradicate them in one sweep. Hearing that, I thought, 'The president is seriously delusional.' Internationally, it was a massive embarrassment. As a former president, I wondered what I should do. Parliament had the authority to revoke martial law, and while I hoped they would act swiftly, I also considered scenarios where lawmakers might be arrested, detained, or unable to reach quorum. In that case, I thought I might need to rush to Seoul, join Democratic Party lawmakers in resistance, hold an emergency press conference for foreign media, or even stage a sit-in protest if necessary."

Moon Jae In also spoke his candid opinion on Yoon Suk Yeol's rise to the presidency. When asked, "Some argue that you bear responsibility for this outcome. In hindsight, Yoon’s presidency has been a failure, and part of that failure stems from your decision to appoint him. How do you respond to this?" former President Moon replied in all honesty saying, "That’s not the main issue. The real problem is that Yoon’s administration has been utterly incompetent—embarrassingly so. Even before this martial law situation, his government was already demonstrating low-level politics. The fact that we handed over power to such individuals is deeply regretful. Every time I see their governance, I feel overwhelmingly apologetic to the people. And now, with the impeachment and martial law crisis, my remorse is beyond words—I can barely sleep at night due to the guilt."

He elaborated, "It’s true that appointing Yoon as Prosecutor General was the starting point, but that position is not meant to be a stepping stone to the presidency. In fact, it is generally frowned upon for a former Prosecutor General to enter politics because of the expectation of political neutrality. However, what really fueled Yoon’s political rise was the mismanaged disciplinary process against him. Instead of handling it smoothly, it was botched, leading to a backlash that made him a political figure in opposition to the Moon administration. That ultimately propelled him to become the presidential candidate for the People Power Party."

Former president Moon added, "But even that wasn’t the most regrettable part—the real issue was the presidential election itself. During the campaign, Yoon had already revealed himself to be completely unqualified for the presidency. He may have been a competent prosecutor, but he had no vision, no policy expertise, and was entirely unprepared. Initially, we considered him an easy opponent because our candidate (Lee Jae Myung) was far more capable in terms of vision, policy, and leadership. If the election had been based on those criteria, we would have won easily, as past elections had always been. Instead, it devolved into an extremely negative campaign, essentially a competition of unpopularity, and we failed to break free from that frame." 

Moon Jae In concluded by expressing his apology and regret, saying, "Looking back, there are many points of regret, but ultimately, we in the Moon administration—myself most of all—bear responsibility for Yoon’s rise to power. We cannot absolve ourselves, and we owe the people an apology."

SEE ALSO: Couple in their 30s face trial following toddler’s death after feeding the child Spicy Buldak Ramen sauce and soju

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